Planning developments in British Nuclear Fuels Ltd

The state of the corporate planning art in British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. was described in this journal by N.R. Geary¹ in September 1973 just 2 years after Company formation. This article discusses more recent planning developments over the period to date during which the Company adopted a Divisionalized structure (from October 1974) and has been required to submit an annual Company plan to the Department of Energy (from November 1975). Background information on the origin and nature of BNFL and its business, and the particular features of the Company which reflect into the nature and method of its planning were given in the 1973 article and only a brief introductory updating of the Company position is included here. Subsequently the features and problems of BNFL's operating and developing planning system are described. Finally, messages arising from BNFL's planning experience to date which the author considers of general application and therefore of value to other practitioners of planning are listed.